Royal Artillery Battery (25-pdrs)
Equipped with the Ordnance QF (Quick Firing) , the Royal Artillery provides reliable off-table support to Commonwealth forces.
Training: Veteran
Move: —
Reaction: —
Weapon: Ordnance QF 25-pounder
- Range: Off-Table
- Burst Radius: 4”
- FP: 5D AT: 5D
Notes: Artillery Suppression.
Machine Guns Versus Armour
Many early war tanks are armed only with machine guns. While lacking dedicated anti-tank weapons they are still capable of damaging enemy armour. When firing at armoured vehicles deduct the vehicle’s Reaction Dice from the machine gun’s FP, then roll the remaining dice as normal.
For example, a Mk VIb is firing at an M11/39 Italian tank. The Mk VIb has 7D Firepower. The M11/39 has 5D Reaction. Deducting 5D from 7D results in 2D that can be used to fire against the M11/39. The most hits the MKVIb can cause is two and this is still opposed to the M11/39’s 5D Reaction. If the MKVIb later fires against a CV–35 with only 3D Reaction, it would fire with 4D giving it a good chance of hitting the CV–35.
Vehicle Reliability
Vehicles in Operation Crusader are prone to break downs when they make double or triple moves. The frequency of a break down is determined by a vehicle’s Reliability: Poor, Average, or Good.
A Command Group that rolls more 1s than 6s with the Variable Move Dice when making a double or triple move may suffer a break down.
Poor Reliability: One vehicle in the Command Group is affected for each 1 rolled in excess of 6s. If two 1s are rolled, two vehicles break down.
Average Reliability: Vehicles with average reliability break down when rolling two more 1 than 6s. If three 1s are rolled two vehicles break down.
Good Reliability: Vehicles with good reliability break down when rolling three more 1 than 6s – this can only occur when making a triple move.
The owning player chooses which vehicles break down.
A vehicle that breaks down cannot move until repaired. Place a counter or coloured cotton wool on or next to the vehicle to show that it’s immobile. The vehicle may fire. Other units in the Command Group are unaffected and continue to their destination.
For example, a company of Matilda IIs is ordered to make a double move towards two Italian anti-tank guns. The Matilda’s have Poor Reliability. They move 3+D” normally. This is doubled to 6+2D”. Tom, unfortunately, rolls two 1s. Two of the Matilda’s grind to a halt while the third moves 8” towards the Italians.
Avoiding Breaking Down
Using a Wild Dice or Staff Order to replace a Variable Move Dice can prevent a break down occurring on a double move, and greatly reduces it for a triple move. As the Wild Dice or Staff Order is counted as a 6, it’s not possible to roll more 1s than 6s on a double move, and makes it highly unlikely on a triple move.
Vehicle Repair
A broken down vehicle can be repaired automatically using a Command Dice or Staff Order in a following turn. The vehicle cannot move when being repaired, but it may fire. A vehicle cannot be activated as part of a Command Group in the same turn it’s repaired in.
